Instrument for measuring standing timber.



L. G. 000K.- INSTRUMENT FOR MEASURING STANDING TIMBER. APPLIOATIONIILBD JULY 29, 1912.

1,072,577. Patented Sept. 9, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

QZ/ 777 assay: Q 127M971 for.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 0)., WASHINGTON, D :4

L. a. 000K. INSTRUMENT FOR MEASURING STANDING TIMBER. APPLICATION FILED JULY 29, 1912.

1,072,577; 7 Patented Sept. 9, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

gg easesz Jvrewfofi trees. 7 To o r ome i 'iml n ten es', uneerm n y, e lia il y i th e m and P111 LUDLOW G, GOOK, QF EVERETT, WASHINGTON.

wsse ire w M AeURI e eeermre Tweetewhereby the neasurement of the diameter of a tree may be made correctly andfrom w i th ont t ie ef i fe t, eer l measure, can be definitely aseertained by the use of reliable for nulae or tables, stead oi relying upon anlestimate in which the personal ii dginent of an individual is the prime fact- 0r.

he e t t ods pre nt use, o wh I have knowledge, for estimating the number offeet in standing. timber, employ no elements of certainty asa base for "calculation. It is common practice to; count the number of trees and estimate their diameters and their height It is rare indeed that any two of several experienced estimators w ag e s to he um ref feet, bea d measure, in any given area or number of pose'of the present 113 91 131 1 My invention compr ses the novel parts and combinations of parts which W ll be hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims. I

n t e e mpenvillg draw ng 1 hav shown my invention embodied in the :fiorm now preferred by me;

Figure 1 is a'side elevation .Of the device ith vthe sighting ,bar raised, Fig. 2sis an elevation showing the outer part of the sighting bar, the trance being inv section just back of the adjusting screw. Fig. ,3 is a plan, the line of sightbeing normal to the sighting bar. Fig. l is an elevation the pivotlend and the near sight.

" n e t lembc li d li en inst ument by hich the actual diameter of the re t u m y be mee er el a d i t a kn wn e e 1 e,;-sei m asu em nt se vi g e lea i m rvl iel i iee eul t fl hetimn elfiee ijee of Letters atent Application filed July 29, 19 12. SeriaI No. [113372.

'justzibi direction sights.

. meme Sen 313- ber contents oiithe logs which would come om he tre e bein made of b es to 'e e -e m ne eu h co t t fter t e w nen eres n m e r e' l s ef er u This instrument uses a sighting bar having or adjustable direction sights, the elevation i ht e in u e vto d te min ie ie' e Wh eh h eeurer n e th a ter of the tree trunk is to be'made and the adiustable direction sights to determine its diameter at that point, the latter sights empl ing the [sam er r e ple fe used i stadia'surveying and range finding.

The instrument is mounted upon a base 1 whi h is pre i l e with means r securing the base to a suppn-rt, as a detachable stem 13 adapted to be secured to a Jacobs er a r p d.- his ba e is p evi ed'v tl l el 2, wh reby it m yb e l d- T one end of this'base is pivoted a sighting bee-r er f me 2 whi h eerrie e Single near sight 7 pivoted at its lower end at 70, and cl stanty vet en ight and separable 0 e1- The distant sights er m un ed ripen arms 505 51 vwhi re P fereb y p v ed a t eir leve end,

as at 54;; so that they maybe turnedbdovvn f r n nient sa e e i e' w en no in use. Each bar 5Q, 51 carries an elevation sight 53, Wh lCh fixed inposition. 1 It als carri i v rt a ght W e 5 hes constituting the direction sights The sighting bar or frame 2 is composed w pa t vl i h eelill te e a a ly 0f the ne e i h ee h eerrriee 9f h sighting standards or 51.7 The manner e ee e m ti nl f th Pa t -mar e Widely va l- S 11? eeve t m he in h y consistof two bars'or platesQO and 21, s1rbthereon elevation lghtS' andtivo separable stantia lly aliire and'pivotediitogether" 22 .0 th t th b e ven e at e ineing movement their plane. One of these plet es h r et ll, ha bee-e 4 ee e thereto and engaging the surface time th ple e 20 'Preiere v We h re a used, one above and t-he other belo v the p at s w e by th y rv t mu ual y eunipo rt the plates and prevent vertical displac m nt- These her f r preferably curved upon an are having its center coineide t .te" .the by whi h he pla 20 21 vare r vetee'e he l Th xple e 2 ov the surface of which the bars for arms 4:

el de een .e ele' 1 ma k d t -te n ,enel th upper bar or arm 4' has a mark 40 serving as a pointer to indicate the reading of the scale '41 which is to be taken,

The scale 41 is divided into three sections at one end of which appear the figures 30, 60, and 90. These figures refer to the height of the upper end of the log which is being measured, its length being in all cases the standard adopted, or, as herein used, 30 feet. Theselengths may. be varied as .will best suit local conditions and customs, those given being welladapted to suit the conditions and customs prevailing in this locality. At the inner end of the cross lines of this scale appear figures which correspond with numbers'of the lines, numbering from one end. These figures form one factor to be used in computing t-hediameter of the log, the other factor being the figures 5, 7 or 9 appearing atone end of the scale, the one to be chosen being determined by the height at which the observation is directed and being the one which appears on the same division at the other end of the scale.

An adjusting means is provided whereby the separation of the direction sights may be controlled and set. As shown, this consists of a screw 3 which threads'into a stud 32,

which is secured to the half 21 of the sighting bar and has a rotative bearingrin another stud 31 carried by' the other half 20 of the sighting bar. This screw is also provided with three disks 33, 34 and 35 which project into slots 23 in the plate 20 and have marks extending across their faces and accompanied by figures. These disks constitute a Vernier scale by which the indications of the scale 41 may be supplemented to secure a more accurate reading. The sighting bar is secured in proper elevated position, as by the slotted arm 6 and securing screw 62, the arm 6 being provided with such marks as are necessaryto cause the elevation sights to indicate the proper height of observation, as 30, 60 or 90 feet. I have shown but three such indications, these consisting of lines 63 which are marked 30, 60, and 90, these being the heights for which the device shown has been scaled. When the sighting arm has been set upon one of these marks it will read correctly for the upper end of a log at that height.

This device is used as follows The J acobs staff, or whatever is used for its support, is placed at a fixed distance from the tree to be measured and as nearly as possible so that the instrument will come at the level at which the stump is to be cut. The distance at which the instrument shown is supposed to set is sixteen paces or about forty-eight feet. If desired, this fact may be accurately told by sight-ing at the base of the tree after the instrument has been leveled and with the sighting bar down, or when lying parallel with the base 1. The sighting bars are then elevated, say to the mark or scale on the arm 6 which is intended for use in measuring at a height of thirty feet. The adjusting screw 3 is then turned until the direction sights 52 coincide with the side edges of the tree trunk at the level indicated by the ele vation sights 53. The reading indicated upon the scale 41 opposite the mark or pointer 40 upon the arm 4 is taken, this being multiplied by 5, as the log being meas ured is at a height of 30 feet, the figure 5 being placed in the division of the scale which contains the 30 foot elevation. The product obtained gives the diameter of the log at that elevation. With the diameter of the log at its small end and its length known, its timber contents may be determined by reference to a standard table. Such table may be affixed to the instrument if desired. To determine the contents of the next 30 foot log, the sighting bars are raised to the position on the arm 6 which is marked 60 and the process of adjustment and reading again carried out. To determine the contents of the next 30 foot log the sighting bars are raised to the position on arm 6 marked 90, and properly adjusted and read as in the previous measurements. 7

In adjusting the direction sights to accurately measure the diameter of the tree trunk, it will often happen that the mark 40 upon arm 4 will not agree exactly with any of the lines upon the scale 41. When this occurs the line of scale 41 is to be taken which is toward the zero end of the scale and, after the computation of the diameter of the tree has been made by multiplying the indication of the scale 41 by the factor 5, 7 or 9 as the case may be, the reading upon the disk 35, 34 or 33 as the case may be, is added to the product. As an illustration, suppose the device is being used to measure the first log at the height of'30 feet. The mark or pointer 40 is just beyond the line 7 in the scale 41. This amount, 7, is therefore to be multiplied by 5, the figure placed at the right of scale 41 and which applies to observations taken at a height of 30 feet. This product does not, however, give an exact and complete result, for the reason that the mark 40 was beyond the line 7. Each of these spaces represents fiveinches at a height of 30 feet which is the reason for using the figure 5 as a multiplier. The disk 35, it will be seen on examination, has five marks thereon dividing its periphery into five equal spaces. Therefore, when mark 40 is between lines 7 and 8 disk 35 has made seven complete revolutions and a little over, and by reading this disk through slot 23 the figure thereon exposed to view indicates the excess in inches above the seven revolutions of the disk and is to be added to the product of 7 and 5, and the amount will be the exact diameter in inches. The disk 34 is similarly divided into seven equal spaces, this corresponding with the number opposite the middle division of scale 41 and the reading of this disk is to be taken when making an observation at a height of 60 feet if mark on arm 4 does not register exactly with a line on the scale 41. The other disk 83 is divided into nine equal parts and the reading of this disk is to be taken in an observation at the height of 90 feet in the same manner as in the case of 30 feet and. feet. In all cases the divisions of the disks 85, 34, and 33 correspond with the figures used as multipliers and placed at the right of scale 41, opposite the division of the scale suited for the height at which the observation is taken. 7

It is to be here stated that when plates 20 and 21 are drawn together by means of adjusting screw 3 each disk registers at zero as viewed through slots 23, and mark 40 on arm 4 registers at zero on scale 41. As thus positioned, the direction sights 52 are in direct line with each other when observed through near sight 7. Each 'complete'reVo-' lution of the disks movesmark40 just one space on scale 41 representing five inches, seven inches, and nine inches, for disks 35, '34, and 33, respectively.

By the use of this device the contents of standing timber may be accurately measured, and the result being "wholly based upon careful mathematical computations, the element of personal judgment is elimi-' nated as completely as it is possible so to do; excepting, of course, the question of the quality of the timber.

I claim as my invention-.

1..'A-deviee for use in measuring standing timbercomprising a sighting bar, means for determining the elevation of said sighting bar, separable direction sights carried by saidsighting bar, and means for indicating the degree of separation of said direction sights. .7

2. A device for use in measuring standing timber, comprising a frame member, a near sight carried upon said frame'member, a pair of distant direction sights carried by said frame member, means for adjusting said direction sights toward and from each other, a scale and a pointer therefor, one

associated with one of said direction sights and the other associated with the other direction sight, and means for determining-the elevation of the line of sight.

3. A device for use in measuring standing timber comprising a base and means for leveling the same, a slghtlng frame'plvoted to the base to swing vertically, and having thereon a near sight, a distant elevation sight and a pair of distant direction sights adjustable toward and from each other, a

scale and pointer associated, each with its respective direction sight, and an elevation adjusting means connecting said base and sighting frame and provided with an indieating device.

4. A device for use in measuring standing timber, comprising a base, a sighting bar or frame pivoted to said base to swing vertically, an elevating mechanism connecting base and sighting bar and containing an elevation scale, and means carried by said sighting bar to determine the diameter of the trunk of the tree on the line of sight.

5. A device for use in measuring standing timbcr,comprising a base, means for leveling the base, a sighting bar pivoted to the base to swing vertically, an adjusting bar connecting base and sighting bar and carrying elevation indications, a near sight and a distant elevation sight carried by the sighting bar, a pair of distant direction sights carried by the sighting bar, and means for adjusting said direction sights toward and from each other and. separation indicating members 'movable in conformity with said direction sights.

6. A device for use in measuring standing timber, comprising a base, means for leveling said base, a sighting bar hinged to swing vertically upon the base, an elevation adj usting bar connecting base and sighting bar and having an elevation scale thereon, the sighting bar being composed of two parts hinged to swing upon a pivot normal with their plane to separate their outer or distant end, a near sight upon the pivoted end of the sighting bar, distant elevation sights carried by said-sighting bar, a distant direction sight carried by each half of the sighting bar, means for adjusting said halves of the sighting bar to vary the separation of the distant direction sights, and a scale and pointer therefor, one carried by each half of the sighting bar. V

7. A device for use in measuring standing timber, comprising a base provided with means for securing it to a support, means for leveling said base, a sighting bar, elevation sights and direction sightscarried by the sighting bar, means for adjusting said sights to thereby measure the diameter of the tree at diiferent elevations.

. LUDLOVV G. COOK.

Witnesses:

SOHUYLER DURYEE, F. G. RYMOND.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

